Intake manifolds coupled to engines, e.g., engines used in the propulsion of vehicles, may be composed at least partially of composite materials including plastics, resins, and/or polymer materials. Such composite intake manifolds are generally not as strong or stiff as manifolds made from metal or ceramic materials, for example. Thus sections of outer walls of such composite intake manifolds may lack sufficient structural support, e.g., to withstand significant internal pressures and accommodate components which may be mounted on the manifold. A section of an outer wall of a composite intake manifold lacking sufficient structural support may contribute to NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), durability, and/or strength problems of the intake manifold. Increasing thickness of the outer walls of a composite manifold or introducing additional structural elements within the hollow body of a composite intake manifold are examples of approaches aimed at enhancing structural integrity of composite intake manifolds.
However, the inventors herein have recognized issues with such approaches. For example, increasing the thickness of the outer walls of a composite intake manifold may increase the weight of the manifold, especially depending on the location of the increased thickness. Such increased weight may then lead to lower fuel efficiency in an engine used to propel a vehicle. Additionally, introducing structural elements within the hollow body of a composite intake manifold may increase part cost and degrade the air flow performance of the intake manifold.
To at least partially address these issues, a system for a V-engine, is provided. The system comprises, a composite intake manifold having an upper outer wall positioned opposite a plurality of air outlets of the manifold; and a supporting member overmolded in the upper outer wall. In some examples, the composite intake manifold may be substantially composed of a first material and the supporting member may be substantially composed of a second material, where the second material has a greater tensile strength than the first material.
In this way, the structural integrity of a composite intake manifold may be enhanced without increasing the thickness of the outer walls or introducing structural elements within the hollow body of the manifold. Such a manifold may have increased air flow performance, lower material and part cost, and lower weight. Note that the wall thickness may be increased in addition to the overmolded support, if desired.
It should be understood that the background and summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.